


Welcome Home

by Miss_Union_Jack_26



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Jewish Bucky Barnes, M/M, Ultron & Civil War & Infinity War & Endgame can collectively suck my dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 18:33:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21396751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Union_Jack_26/pseuds/Miss_Union_Jack_26
Summary: They'd both waited long enough.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	1. Past

They were huddled around a campfire in Italy, far from any enemies who might spot the light, listening to Gabe translate Dernier's homesick poetry about Paris. Dum Dum chimed in, waxing lyrical about his place back in the States, and Jim cut him off to praise Philly. Bucky gave Steve's ribs a gentle nudge with his elbow. "How about you, Stevie? Missing our shithole in Brooklyn?"  
Steve gave a half-hearted shrug. "Not really Buck. I love our shithole, but that ain't really home."  
Bucky raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah? You got some other rat-trap I don't know about?"  
Steve snorted at that. "That's not what I mean. You're my home, Buck. Wherever we're together, that's home. Can't miss it when it's sitting right next to me."  
They ignored the wolf-whistles and playful teasing. The howlies had known about them for months, since the march from Azzano. Bucky ducked his head with a smile and a blush. "Yeah?"  
Steve bumped his shoulder against his side. "Of course. Always."  
After that, it became another one of their things to greet each other with, "Welcome home." It didn't matter where they were, as long as it was only them that could hear, them or the howlies or Peggy.

\-----------

It was the winter of 1927, when Steve got pneumonia for the second time in his life (but definitely not the last). This time it got so bad, the doctor was sure he wouldn't make it. His mom called the priest. Bucky sat in a corner of the room, listening as Steve was read his last rites, and felt like it was him that was dying. That was how he figured it out, just how much he loved his Stevie. How much he wanted to hold him, and kiss him, and keep him forever. Steve pulled through eventually, but Bucky was left shaken. He couldn't forget just how close he'd come to losing the best thing to ever happen to him. It was weeks before Steve found his hiding spot, where he went to cry about what an idiot he was. Steve was Catholic, and a guy, and he'd deck him if he ever found out. Except, when Steve dragged the truth out of him, he didn't get decked for it. He got kissed. He would've been less shocked if an alien had dropped out of the sky. As it turned out, Steve loved him too. He'd kept it quiet for a bunch of bullshit reasons, like Bucky deserving better (there wasn't anyone better than Steve), and some of the same reasons too. Bucky is Jewish, and a guy, and he didn't want to get decked either. That was the winter they realised that they were both idiots, but it was okay because they were each others' idiots.


	2. Present

They were all in the common room, at least two dozen of them between the original Avengers, the new kids, and various friends and family members. Bucky didn't usually do great with crowds, not these days, but he made an exception for movie night. It was only twice a month, and it was a perfect excuse to cuddle up with someone. It wasn't always Steve, sometimes he'd be away on missions, or have an important meeting. Last month he was visiting a kid for Make A Wish. On nights like that he'd cosy up to Sam or Nat, or on one memorable occasion, Bruce. Tonight Steve was there though, and Bucky wouldn't miss it for the world. It was Steve's turn to pick the movie, too. It must've been a rough mission last week, because he picked his favourite instead of one from his list. The remastered version of The Wizard Of Oz. Bucky was half drifting in a haze of comfort and safety, letting the sounds of the movie wash over him, when something floated up out of the back of his mind. It must've been all Dorothy's talk of home that did it. A campfire, snow on the ground. Coughing, fever, a priest. A kiss, clasped hands. Sometimes Bucky had trouble telling the difference between real memories, implanted ones, dreams, imaginings. Natasha said that was normal, for all that it got easier with time and practice. These felt like real memories, but he wasn't sure. He looked over at Steve without turning his head, out of the corner of his eyes. If he was wrong... well, he didn't really think it would be a disaster. Not after everything. Steve hadn't decked him for sending him to the hospital, or for staying away for nearly a year while he rediscovered himself. He probably wouldn't deck him for this either. Still, his belly was full of butterflies, and his skin was flushed with nerves. He wanted it to be real. If it wasn't, that might not be a disaster for their friendship, but it would still hurt like hell. He'd reclaimed the name Bucky, and Steve still called him Buck sometimes, but this would be the first time since before the train that he called him... "Stevie?"  
Steve's head whipped around to face him, eyes wide, lips slightly parted from the way he'd gasped. Shocked. Bucky could just spot the joy creeping in around the edges though, and it gave him the courage to keep going. "Welcome home...?"  
Almost immediately, tears started pouring down Steve's face. His voice was a hoarse croak when he asked, "You remember that?"  
Bucky gave a hesitant nod. "I think so. Did that... did that really happen?"  
Steve gave a choked laugh. "Yeah Buck, that one's real. I didn't know... I wasn't sure you'd ever remember that. Or that you'd... I didn't know if you'd still feel that way." The way he swallowed before he spoke again gave away the lie of his next words. "It's okay if you... if you don't. If that isn't true for you anymore."  
Hope bloomed, just one more petal folding down from the bud in his chest. "Do you, Stevie? Still?"  
A smile that looked just like heartbreak curved across Steve's face. "Of course, Buck. Always. Wouldn't know how to stop, wouldn't want to if I did."  
Bucky took a deep, shuddering breath. "I didn't think I'd ever have that again. I didn't think I'd ever get to come home."  
Steve's sob was loud in the silence. Neither of them had noticed the movie being paused. "Me neither, Buck. Me neither." And it didn't matter that they were two men out of time, that everyone they'd ever cared about was long in the grave. It didnt matter that they'd been separated for decades, and changed, and lost. Because they were together again, and that's where home was. They reached for each other with trembling hands, even the metal one shifting plates as it recalibrated, and kissed for the first time in this new century. It was tender, and salty with tears, and absolutely perfect.

\----------

"Hey, Buck? Welcome home."

\----------

When they finally broke apart, to the familiar cheers and wolf whistles of their audience, Steve's face got nervous again. Bucky assumed it was because he wasn't previously 'out' in the future, but he wasn't worried. Nobody seemed to be complaining, and he'd just deck anyone who did. But apparently that wasn't what Steve was worried about. "Hey, Buck? Did you know that in the future, guys like us aren't illegal anymore?" Bucky grinned back at him. He tried to avoid watching the news, but he wasn't a complete hermit. He'd figured that one out for himself. Steve smiled back, but he still hadn't lost his nerves. "Did you know we can even get married now?"  
It was Bucky's turn to drop his jaw in shock. "Seriously?"  
Steve nodded right away. "Yeah. It's been legal for a while now. First it was just New York, but now it's the whole country."  
A surprised laugh punched out of him. "Is this you askin' me?" It was just a playful tease, mostly, but...  
"If that's what you want it to be. If I'm going too fast..."  
His heart pounded fit to burst out of his chest as he grinned at his Stevie. "You'd better have a ring for me Rogers."  
A relieved chuckle. "Of course I do Buck, what kind of shlub do you take me for?" And lo and behold, he actually reached into his pocket and pulled out a little velvet box. That brought up a whole new flood of feelings, because until today Steve hadn't even known if Bucky would ever remember them. "It was the first thing I bought with my back-pay, after I woke up. Before I even heard about the new laws. It just... I just needed it. It felt right. We would've had them before, probably, if we could've afforded them."  
Bucky squeezed his hand before finally leaning away. "Put it on me?" It had to go on his right hand for now, but he'd speak to Tony about his options before the wedding. He wanted to do this right. Steve's hands weren't shaking anymore, they were steady as a rock when he slid the plain gold band onto his finger. He took a second band out of the box, gave it to Bucky, held out his left hand. Bucky kissed him with a smile on his lips as he slid it home.  
"God, I missed you Buck." Bucky's breath hitched in his throat. He didn't waste another moment before he was kissing Steve again, pulling him closer, as close as they could get. Steve melted into him, before pushing closer still, until Bucky felt his back hit the sofa. He threaded his flesh hand in Steve's golden hair, holding him in place, angling his head just right, and hitched one leg over Steve's hip. They ignored it when someone pelted them with popcorn, and somebody else squawked "MY EYES", too lost in each other to care. It wasn't long before they were both out of breath, desperate, clinging to each other, rutting like they had as teenagers, yanking at each others' clothes. Neither noticed the room clearing out, Tony muttering about the cleaning bill, Natasha chucking a travel-sized bottle of lube at Steve's head. It sure did come in handy later that night, but not this round. They were too close already, too impatient. They'd waited long enough.


End file.
